Free Firewall by Sierra Riley Page A

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    Calder’s mind was reeling as dinner was finished and the two headed into the living room to hang out. As always, Calder was vigilant, even while chilling with Justin.
    With the earlier conversation, it seemed like the two were about to walk into unfamiliar territory. Justin’s eyes had bored into his own and, as much as Justin was probably trying to hide it, there had been so much yearning and hope.
    Calder had never seen it so closely before. Sure, he had suspected his best friend might have had feelings for him in the past, but he had never dwelled on it. The affectionate words they shared now and again online had always seemed like enough.
    Calder tried not to think about it too much. He had a job to do and if he let himself become too distracted it could put Justin at risk.
    “Want to try flying a drone?” Justin spoke up, jarring Calder from his thoughts.
    “Yeah, that’d be cool.” Calder was pleased for the distraction. The tension between them was getting a bit high. It had been some time since Calder had last got laid and now that urge was stronger than ever because of his emotional involvement with the man in front of him.
    But, no, he had to control himself.
    Justin rose from the couch and grabbed one of his prized drones from a shelf on the wall. He then led Calder outside into the backyard.
    “I have cameras attached to most of my other drones because you can get some amazing footage,” Justin explained. “But I don’t have one for this one yet.”
    “I’ve seen some of those videos. They’re pretty amazing. You have a lot of those on your channel.”
    “I do.” Justin seemed pleased that Calder brought up his YouTube channel. Of course Calder had watched all of his videos. “Do you want to try first?”
    “No way. I have no idea what to do,” Calder laughed while holding up his hands. “You can try it first. Just let me take a look around before you do that.”
    Calder stepped off the patio and walked around the mid-sized backyard, checking the fences and the bushes along them. When he was sure the coast was clear, he returned to Justin’s side.
    “That’s going to take a bit to get used to.”
    “I don’t think I’ll have any problem,” Calder teased.
    There it was again. Justin’s cheeks suddenly exploded with color and his eyes widened with surprise. Calder had to admit that getting a rise from him was kind of cute.
    “All right. Come here,” Justin insisted as he showed Calder the remote control. As Calder watched, Justin explained how to use the controller to fly the drone and gave a demonstration. Even though it was a new toy, Justin handled it like a pro.
    When Calder was handed the controller, he was nervous. He didn’t do so well the first few times he tried to lift the drone off the ground. After three or four false starts, he handed back the controller with a laugh. “I don’t want to break it.”
    “You’ll never get it to fly if you give up that easily,” Justin snorted but accepted the controller and then went to pick up the drone. “That’s fine, though. I’m starting to get tired anyway.”
    “It’s been a busy day, yeah,” Calder agreed as they headed back inside.
    “I’m going to get to bed now,” Justin said after he put his drone on a shelf in the living room. Calder knew Justin liked to turn in early and just rest with his computer. He had complained in the past about being overwhelmed by the day and needing the quiet time to unwind in the evenings.
    Even though he didn’t have a traditional job anymore and didn’t keep those hours, Justin’s habit looked like it was still going strong. Everyone needed a routine.
    “Okay. I might stay down here a little longer but I’ll have my laptop with me if you feel like chatting.”
    In that moment, a wave of relief washed over Justin face. “Cool. Well, good night. If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to help yourself. My home is your home now.”
    “Thanks, man. Have a good